Twilight Eclipse Looks to Step into the Spotlight

After conceding the spotlight to 2014 Horse of the Year finalist Main Sequence in each of his last five starts, West Point Thoroughbreds’ Twilight Eclipse will take center stage in Saturday’s $150,000 Pan American Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

A 6-year-old son of Purim, Twilight Eclipse set a new course and World record for 1 ½ miles when capturing the 2013 Pan American, covering the distance in a blistering 2:22.63, but in 2014 the gelding knocked heads with a Champion. Flaxman Holdings’ Main Sequence, who would go on to receive two Eclipse Awards as the nation’s top older horse and top turf horse, turned up in every start Twilight Eclipse would make between July of 2014 and February of 2015. Each time, Main Sequence tasted victory, but Twilight Eclipse was never far behind. He finished second to Main Sequence three times and was only beaten a neck on two occasions, in the United Nations (G1) at Monmouth on July 6 and the Turf Classic Invitational (G1) at Belmont Park on Sept. 27.

“Unfortunately, Twilight [Eclipse] has been second and third to [Main Sequence] in a couple of starts, and you’d hope that there may have been one or two times where we actually beat him, but our horse is tough,” trainer Tom Albertrani said. “He’s always trained well, and as long as we come back and run our race this week, keep Main Sequence away a little bit, we’ll have an opportunity to win a couple nice races with him this year.”

With Main Sequence in Dubai to contest Saturday's Dubai Sheema Classic (UAE-G1) at Meydan Racecourse, Twilight Eclipse will be the horse with the target on his back when the gates open Saturday at Gulfstream. The Kentucky-bred most recently finished second, beaten ¾-length, in the Mac Diarmida (G2) in Hallandale on Feb. 21. Twilight Eclipse opened up a clear lead in the stretch that day but was caught in the final strides by, whom else, Main Sequence.

“We were in a good position early on, and we actually got first run on Main Sequence this time, and I thought when we opened up a length for so turning for home that we had enough momentum, but Main Sequence is just such an awesome horse,” Albertrani said. “He’s got such a quick turn of foot. He just was able to get us again at the wire. In our previous races, I thought we were a little bit unlucky. When we faced him in the United Nations at Monmouth, we were unfortunately pinned inside a little bit, and Main Sequence got the jump on us, and also in the next race at Belmont (Turf Classic Invitational), something similar happened where he got first jump on us, but I had no excuses last time. We got the first jump and we still got caught, but our horse is doing really good, and I feel really good about our chances this weekend.”

Although Twilight Eclipse has not registered a victory since last year’s Mac Diarmida (G2), the gelding, who finished third, beaten less than 2 lengths in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on Nov. 1 at Santa Anita, has run more than his fair share of winning races in the interim.

“He’s been so consistent in his last few races,” Albertrani said. “He ran a tremendous race in the Breeders’ Cup, the Turf Classic. In his last few races, he’s always been right there. It’s just a matter of getting that breakthrough race."

The third, fourth, and sixth place finishers from the Mac Diarmida will also return in the Pan American. Change of Command finished two lengths behind the winner in his first start off the claim for trainer Jorge Navarro. The 8-year-old gelded son of Gators N Bears has finished first, second, or third in three starts this winter over the Gulfstream Park turf course. The Sid Attard-trained Money Talker, the Mac Diarmida’s fourth-place finisher, won an allowance at Woodbine in October and finished third in the Sky Classic Stakes (G2) there last August, while Artic North, sixth in the Mac, previously finished second in the inaugural Allen Jerkens Stakes at Gulfstream on Jan. 31.

The English-bred Glenard was also entered in the Pan American. The 5-year-old son of Arch finished second in the Fair Grounds Handicap (G3) on Feb. 21 in his North American debut for trainer Graham Motion. The Grade 1-stakes placed Imagining, most recently eighth, but only beaten 2 ¾ lengths, in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) on Feb. 7; Pyrite Mountain, third behind Glenard in the Fair Grounds Handicap; and Street Chief, second in a Gulfstream allowance on Feb. 20; and the Argentinian-bred Desvelo round out the field.

               War Correspondent Has Pedigree on His Side in $150,000 Appleton (G3)

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ War Correspondent doesn’t just have form on his side as a contender in Saturday’s $150,000 Appleton Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park. He also has an edge on pedigree.

War Correspondent, a 5-year-old son of War Front and the Rahy mare Tempo West, is a full brother to the highly regarded Declaration of War, winner of the 2013 Juddmonte International at York and Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot, both Group 1 events. An American-bred who ran primarily in Europe, Declaration of War capped his career with a third-place finish in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), his dirt debut, at Santa Anita Park. He now stands at Ashford Stud in Kentucky and commands a $40,000 fee.

Similarly to Declaration of War, War Correspondent also began his career in Europe and was a two-time winner overseas, but he joined trainer Christophe Clement’s stable last September to race full time in the United States. The Kentucky-bred has performed well in each of his three North American starts. His American debut resulted in a 4-length win in an allowance at Monmouth Park on Sept. 13. Then he stepped right up to graded stakes competition and finished second in the Autumn Stakes (G2) on synthetic at Woodbine on Nov. 14 before rallying to get up for third in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) on Feb. 7, coming a length within top-two finishers Mshawish and Slumber.

“He’s trained very well since his last race,” Clement said. “John Velazquez will ride him. I’m excited about him, and we’ll see how he runs. He’s getting better and getting stronger [with every start].”

Lochte, winner of the 2014 Gulfstream Park Turf, also entered the 1-mile Appleton. The 5-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro finished seventh in this year’s running but tuned up for the Appleton with a four-length allowance score at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 13. The Appleton field also includes Grand Tito, Excaper, and Mr. Online, the second, fifth, and sixth-place finishers from Gulfstream’s Canadian Turf (G3) on Feb. 21; the stakes-placed Breitling Flyer; and Dramedy, winner of an allowance at the Appleton distance at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 27.

Source: Gulfstream Park